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What works best for you is what works best for any bride, regardless of age or weight - and that's a dress that you feel amazing in!

Please don't limit yourself because of your age or weight - go in with an open mind and see which dress makes you feel amazing. If you're worried about what the bridal shops will think, then I'd suggest calling a few in advance and explaining your situation - any shop that starts talking about limited choice for someone your age or size is a shop that needs to be crossed off your list! If you speak to someone who is friendly and reassuring, then you are probably going to get great service from them.

However, while you shouldn't limit yourself, a lot of people talk about 'pushing your comfort zone' on your wedding day, but I don't agree. If you don't normally wear very fitted dresses or very low necklines, you're just not going to feel comfortable in them on your wedding day, no matter how good they make you look. Same with length, amount of bling, silhouette. It doesn't matter how stunning the dress is, if you feel awkward in it, it will show. And you won't look nearly as good in it as you would in a less showy dress that makes you feel fabulous. So if you love it, wear it!

P.S. You can get some great dresses via mail order too, but I'd suggest going to at least one shop to try on dresses first as it will give you some idea of the silhouettes and styles that you do/don't like.

View quoted message Thank you I have seen some online but definitely need to try before I buy. What I like might not be what suits me I was hoping to visit some shops alone but don’t think this would be a good idea. Thanks for your advice x

I totally agree with the post on here. I was an older bride at 45 and I’m not what you would call slim! I’m a size 12-14 and my dress ended up being a size 16 but it was adjusted a lot as it the top was too big. Because I am a pear shape I knew that the fit and flare style dress would suit me. I also knew that I wanted a short dress so I really recommend trying short ones, much easier to walk in and you can show off your shoes! I started by looking online and only went to two shops in the end. One was a short dress specialist and the other was the chain Wed2be. They are a good starting point as they have such a lot of choice and you can walk away with them, they stock hundreds. Don’t be fixated on age or size though. I felt like a million dollars on my big day! Good luck

And it was my first marriage too. So just because you are older doesn’t mean you can’t go big or have whatever you like and can afford!

I think the beauty of being an older bride is you don't have to wear a traditional bridal gown, you could find a beautiful shift dress and jacket if that's what you felt most comfortable in and no one would look twice whereas I think if I bride in her 20s wore that people would find it more unusual that she wasn't in the "proper" bridal gown. I hope that makes sense, what I'm saying is try not to see your age is limiting what you can choose, it actually gives you more choice!

I hope you find something you love x

It doesn’t matter what weight or shape you are as long as you feel comfortable! I suggest taking a look on Princessly it’s a online store and they have a large selection b

When my husband and I decided to get married I thought well I'm now 50 so I will go with something plain, white and elegant.
My actual dress was nothing like I envisioned. It was actually ivory with so many embellishments it was actually quite heavy lol.
My advice go to a bridal shop and try on different styles. I think you will be amazed at what suits you once you have tried a few on.The owner of the bridal shop I bought my dress pushed me out of my comfort zone and I'm so glad she did. I received so many compliments on my dress and actually had people in tears.Good luck ❤️

I am a size 20 and got married last month at 51.
I lost a stone for the wedding but I wanted a dress that didn’t matter if I did or didn’t so I didn’t stress. I also wanted something I could possibly wear again and not pay a fortune for. I felt a million dollars and sparkled in the sun. Bombshellhq.com

Hi Sandra,

I'm in my 50s and will be getting married next July. I'm size 16 at the moment and a shorter bride at 5ft tall. I think it's up to you what type of dress you want. Don't let age restrict you on what you want to wear. I'm going for column/sheath dress because I think it suits a shorter bride.

Agree with all the ladies, I’m 50 chose my dress yesterday, all the things I thought would suit me didn’t I ended up going for a very slight mocha with white lace over, so it looks blush, I am also a 12/14 and the dress was a 16, I knew it was right when I put it on, don’t rush and make sure your feel comfortable, the ladies in the shop were a great help and I took my daughter who gave honest feedback! best of luck 😊

Thank you everyone for your messages I think I’m just panicking being a first time bride. Im visiting a dress shop this weekend with an open mind and fingers crossed I find my dream dress x